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`ROBERT J. BURROWS, 0F BUCHANAN', MICHIGN, ASSIGNCB, TO CLARK EQUIPMENT COMPANY, 0F BUCHANAN, MICHIGAN, .A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

MOTOR-TRUCK AXLE.

Appucaubn filed Mayis To all 'll/*honi it may concer/n: u

Be it known that I, Rosana` J. BUunows, a lcitizen of the United States, and a resident 'of Buchanan, in the county-'of- Berricn and,

axles designedv for heavy vehicles', such trucks, in which the rear wheels are mounted .on spindles carried by a dead axle and are driven by power applied through a hvev axle comprising jack-shafts connected with the usual diiferential gearing and uiclosed 1n a Suitable, housing. .'The wheels carry gears, preferably of the internal type, which V wheels are rotated.

meshwith pinions carried by the jack-shafts, so that by therotation of the jack-shafts the In some axles of this type, the members of the live axle housing are connected to the' dead axle intermediately, and in others they are disconnected except at their ends, and my present invention is `more especially for the ,latter class,

although it may bene-ficiallybe applied to either. Itis well understood t, 'at in axles o the type referred to, when power is ap plied to the jacleshafts to drive the vehicle 1n aforward direction, the pinions carried u by the jack-shafts tend to climb up on the driving gears and consequently to rotate the live axle housing around the dead axle, and' Where the live axle housing is supported at its ends by brackets secured to the dead axle member merely bybolting, as has heretofore been proposed, the strain on the bolts is very great and tendsto shear-'them oi. The object of my present invention is to provide an improved construction by which such brack ets will. be secured agalnst rotation independentlyof any boltsthat may be used to secure the brackets to the dead axle member, thus avoiding the objection mentioned and providing a construction in which the brackets 4may readily be applied to or removed from the dead axle member. I accomplish Athisv object as illustrated in the drawings and l as .hereinafter described.

That which I be- A ,lieve to be new is set forth inthe claims.

In the accompanyin draWings,- n

Figure l'is a. parta A.plan view of my iinf proved axle, certain parts beingimsection;

Specifcation'of Letters Patent. E Satnted July 8, 1919,

,1917A semi no. leases.

" el indicates the dead4 axle member, which,

in the illustration, is `preferably an I-beam, but which maybe of any other suitable shape. t provided at each end with a sleeve 5 which forms a socket for the Wheel spindle, and with spring-seats 6 upon which the usual springs are mounted and secured.

the sprnzgrl-scats are disk-like vflanges 7 which, however, are not circular, sincethey are provided at one or more' points in their periphery with flattened surfaces 8, as shown in Fig. 2. In thc construction shown, this fiattcncd .surface is at the rear.

-9 indicates the live axle member, of which A1.0 indicates the differential housing and i1- 1:2 sleeves which are seciued to the housing); 10 and iforin the housing for the jackshai'tfl; by which the wheels are driven.. The axes ci the sleeves 1-12 are disposed parallel with the dead axle member l, and their outer ends are fitted into sockets l?) in brach'- ets l-'l which are also provided with sockets l5 adapted to tit upon the sleeves 5i, as shown in Figi. 1. rlhe brackets I4 are also provided with o {isct arms 15a, each olf said arms having an abutment 16 which is adapted to register with and fit closely upon the i brackets are slipped endwise upon the end portions ot' the dead axle, as shown in Fig. 1. Thus, it will be seen that the bracketv 111: when in position is held against rotation upon the sleeve 5, and consequently the live axle housing -is prevented from rotatingr about the dead axle member. therefore, no shearing strain upon the bolts 17 which may beemployed to secure the bracket 14 upon the sleeve 5, as shown in Fig. 1. As indicated in Fig. 2, any suitable -num'ber of bolts 1 7 may be used, said bolts passing` through the bracket 14 and flange Besides supporting the live axle housing, the brackets 14 also carry pins 1,8 which support 'external brakeslQ operating upon abrakedrum 20 carried by the Wheel 2l; They also form bearings' for shafts 22 which carry Between the inner ends oi the sleeves 5 and flat-tened surface 8 of the flange 7 when the- There is,

cams '23 whchoperate internal brakes 2l. In th'e construction shown, the inner ends ot the shafts 22 are supported b v arms 25 secured to the dead 'axle memb'er #L and are inte a central opening 2T in the dead axle,

member. without` however, being connected with said dead axle, but thisarrangement' isnot essential to my invention.- astl'iere .need be no interlittii'ig oi."o\'erlapping ofthe two principal members ot the axle, and the axle members may be of 'anyv other suitable design. The jack-shafts and gearing arc not shown, as'any known arrangement of gears suitable for the purpose may be employed.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. A motor vehicle axle of thetype described, comprising a dead axle member having wheel spindles and circular end portions adjacent thereto, a live axle housing associated therewith, brackets havingcircular sockets fitted upon the circular end portions of said dead axle member andsupporti'ng the outer end 'portions of said housing, inter-fitting means carried by said brackets and Said dead axle member for preventing rotation of said brackets, and means securing said-brackets tov said dead axle member.

A motor vehicle axle of the type described, comprising a. dead axle member, a live axle housing associated therewith` and ay bracket fitted upon the `outer end portion of said dead axle membe' and having an alfiutment, said dead axle member having a `non-circular flange which fits against said abutn'ient and prevents rotation ot' ysaid bracket, one end of said housing beings-iupported 'by said bracket.

23. A motor vehicle axle ol the type described` comprising a dead axle member, a live axle housing associated therewith, and a bracket fitted upon the outer end portion ot' said dead axle member and having an abutment, said dead axle member having a noufcircular flange which [its against said abutment' and prevents rotation of said bracket, one end of said housing being fitted in a socket in said bracket.

t. A motor vehicle axle of the type described, comprising a dead axle member, a live axle housing associated therewith, and a bracket having a socket adapted to tit upon the outer end portion of said dead axle meinbei' 'and having an abutment, said dead axle member having a non-circular flange which tits against said abutment and prevents rotation of said bracket, one end of said housing being fitted in another socket in said bracket.

5. A motor vehicle axle of the type described, comprising a' dea-d axle member having wheel spindles and circular end por- 'tions adjacent thereto, a live axle housing associa-ted therewith, brackets having circularsockets fitted upon the outer end portions of said dead axle member and support- I iii-g the circular end portions of said lionsing,` inter-fitting means carried by said brackets and said dea'd axle n'ieii'i-ber lfor preventing rotation of said brackets, means securing said brackets to said dead axle member, and brake mechanism supported by said brackets.

motor vehicle axle of the type described, comprising a dead axle member, a

l livc axle housing associated therewith, and

a bracket having a socket adapted. to fit upon the outer end portion of said dead axle mem- 4ber andl'ia\v'infr an offset arm orininfr an abutment, said dead axle member having a non-circular flange which fits-against said abutment for preventing rotation, of said bracket, one end of said housing being supported b v said bracket.

7. A motor vehicle axle of the type described, comprising a dead axle member, a. livc axle housing associated therewith, a bracket having a socket adapted to tit upon lthe outer end portion of said dead axle in'en'iber and having an offset arm forming au abutment, said dead -axle member having a min-circular flange which [its against said abutment for preventing rotation of said bracket, one end of said housing being supported by sa'id bracket, and brake mechanism supported by said arm.

8. A. motor .vehicle axle of the. type described, comprising a. dead axle member having wheel spindles and end portions circular in cross-section adjacent to the inner ends of said wheel spindles, a live axle housing associated therewith, brackets having circulaisockets adapted to tit and move'endwise upon said end portions-of said dead axle member, and inter-fitting means carried by said dead axle memberand said brackets tor preventing rotation of said brackets upon said dead axle member, theI end portions of said live axle housing being snpported by said brackets.

ROBERT J. BURROVS. 

